Francesca Zijlstra is a Dutch sculptor and painter from Harlingen who predominantly works with bronze, stone and wood. She spent her youth in the artist village Laren in the Netherlands, where she displayed an interest in art at a young age, creating sculptures in wood, clay and wax. She was tutored by, amongst others, Paul Grégoire at the State Academy of Fine Arts in Amsterdam. Zijlstra won two silver medals at the Prix the Rome, respectively in 1975 and 1977, which directly led to an exhibition in the Singer museum in Laren. Her work is mostly figuratively abstract. She currently still resides in the Netherlands, creating artworks and participating in exhibitions.
